Brooklyn and the Baby
by emisonislifeok
Summary: Newly wed Emily and Alison move to NYC to escape from someone from Alison's past and raise a baby. To everyone, they're madly in love and are eager to raise a baby together. But behind the scenes, they're just friends who are using the marriage facade to hide Ali what's really going on. With a baby coming soon, will they be able to pull it off? Or will they fall in love for real?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone, here is the long awaited baby fanfic that I have been working on since August. I'm extremely sorry for the MIA since September and have failed to update my other fic Supreme. For those who follow it, I will be posting more shortly. I've been going through a rough patch lately, and have been focusing more on my well-being than writing. Thank you for understanding.**

 **As for the fic, I made the chapters shorter than I normally do for my other fics so that I can update more frequently instead of once a month at best like I used to. I write on my own time, so please know that I won't be updating every week or anything.**

 **x Kylie**

 **(This fic will touch on explicit things...so you may finally get the smut you've been wanting me to write for ages)**

* * *

 **March 13th, 2022**

* * *

New York City didn't appeal to Emily, yet here she stood outside her new house in Brooklyn. For someone who spent her entire life in a small, quiet suburb of Pennsylvania, a last minute decision to move to New York City wasn't something she ever saw herself doing. Many people enjoyed the city life, enough that over 8 million people resided in the area alone. Her best friend Hanna lived in an apartment in Manhattan with her high school boyfriend, Caleb. That was a perk to the move, but Emily had a hard time finding any others.

Everyone was confused on why it was that she decided to move away from the life she had. She had a good job back in her hometown of Rosewood, where she was a physical therapist and swim coach at the high school she had graduated from ten years before. She had to give that up by moving to New York, and there was no hope of finding a job as a swim coach at any school in the city in the middle of March. The only job she had right now would be working as a bartender, which was something she used to do to get extra money in college. The bartending job would have to do for the mean time, but she would be looking for physical therapy jobs in the area. Emily didn't want to tell anyone the real reason why she moved, plus she was told not to breathe a word about it to anyone. Instead, she gave them the same story which probably made them more concerned with her life choices than if she had just told them the truth.

It was too late to turn back now, and the finality stuck in her brain as she stared up at her new house. Though they were only renting, they were bound to the house for at least a year. One thing she didn't want was an apartment, which meant having to live in the same building as multiple others. One of the only places that didn't have that aspect was Bay Ridge, an almost suburban looking neighborhood in Brooklyn. Each house had a lawn, so the apartments weren't pressed against each other. Each house had it's own character too, a different look that set them apart from the others.

The house Emily stared at was made out of a red-brown brick. A large white front door matched the five white windows at the front of the house. The front yard was a small grassy hill, which the house sat on top of. There were stairs of the same brick that led to the front of the house, and a white fence to separate the yard from the street.

The house and the area had some nice things about it, as the house itself was beautiful and a bit pricey for Emily's normal standard of living. It wasn't however for the person who she had rented the house with. But Emily couldn't complain, even though she wasn't a fan of New York City, there was a park right across the street and the house had a two car garage for both of their cars.

Also right across the street was The Shore Parkway Greenway Trail. The parkway was a cement boardwalk that followed the shoreline of The Narrows. This body of water separated Brooklyn and Staten Island, another part of New York City. A few miles down down the road was the Verrazano Bridge, which was how people accessed both Brooklyn and Staten Island. She could use the parkway as her running route in the morning, since it seemed to stretch on for miles.

Emily stood on the sidewalk outside of the new house, and stared up at it. The cardboard box in her arms was labeled "EM BEDROOM," which was heavy in her arms. She bit her lip as she continued to stare up at the house, knowing she was going to have to go inside at some point. For a mid-March morning, the weather was clear and sunny. However, it was chilly, and Emily was wrapped in a sweatshirt she got when she was a freshman in college. The sweatshirt had always been Emily's go to when it was cold, and always gave her a lot of nostalgia just by looking at it. It was royal blue, with a sunburnt orange trim on the inside of the hood. The lettering on the front of the sweatshirt, which spelt out "PEPPERDINE WAVES" was in the same orange. Upon buying the sweatshirt nine years ago, her dreams for a future were of completing college and settling in a suburban home near where she grew up. If only her former self knew of where she would be now, somewhere… urban.

Tearing her eyes off of the house, Emily shook her head to clear her thoughts and climbed the brick steps to the house. The front door was open, and she entered with minor difficulty due to the fact she was carrying a heavy box. The house wasn't a home yet, and various sized cardboard boxes that were stacked in each room was a reminder. She'd make it a home soon, home decorating was a skill she had inherited thanks to her mother. She wasn't an expert or anything, but she could probably find a way to give the house some character.

"Hey, I got the last box," Emily called out into the house, kicking the door shut behind her. The door slammed heavily, and she could feel the walls shake slightly.

"Great! Now I feel a little less stressed out," a female voice responded, as Emily followed the sound of the voice into the kitchen.

The kitchen walls were a solid white color, which unfortunately couldn't be changed since they were only renting. All of the appliances in the kitchen thus far was a bright white, except for the fridge which was a chrome color. The island in the middle of the kitchen was a white granite too. It seemed to be that the owners were very big on clean and simple.

Emily entered to see her new housemate, with her back turned to her. Her golden blonde waves cascaded down her back and stopped at her mid back. She was wearing a light colored pair of jeans, and a long, black cardigan. From where Emily stood in the entryway of the kitchen, she was unpacking a new set of dining ware. Plates, shiny new forks and spoons, and crystal clear glasses. She turned back to look at Emily, who was looking back at her with a blank expression. The blonde smiled sweetly at Emily, the sunlight from outside made her cheeks full of color and her hair reflect the gold rays of the sun.

"Did the moving truck leave?" she asked.

"Yeah," Emily responded, setting the box she was carrying onto the new dining room table. "They left about five minutes ago."

"Great," she said, smiling wider. "I honestly thought that would take all day."

Emily's mouth twitched upward, but she didn't feel like smiling in the slightest. This whole sudden move had kept her neutral for the most part, while her mind continued to battle over if she had made the right choice by leaving Rosewood behind.

The woman that stood before her was a few months younger than her, who also was part of Rosewood's graduating class of 2012. At almost twenty-eight years old, she still looked almost exactly the same as Emily remembered her in high school. Her face and body had matured however, but other than that Emily was sure she would be able to pick her out anywhere. They were coworkers at Rosewood High starting in 2018, after not having seen much of each other since their senior year of high school. She was an English teacher for 11th and 12th grade, having to teach literature to sixteen to eighteen year olds.

Alison DiLaurentis. That was her name, and it wasn't a name people could forget easily. Maybe it was because her name was so unique, that probably no one in the world shared her name combination. Or maybe it was because her presence left a lasting mark on everyone she ever met or passed in the streets. That's how she had always been, but back in high school more people felt intimidated by her persona. She'd walk the halls like she owned them, and she probably did. Nowadays, the mean streak had died out for the most part and a mature woman took her place. Emily was glad that Alison was someone that she could call friend….or, wife now.

Since about a week ago, they were married. No ceremony, and no notice even to either side of their families that they were planning to get married at all. Not even a sparkling engagement ring for either of them. Instead, both had a simple, thin, silver band on their left ring finger. It was somewhat sentimental, and more than enough for the rash decision they both made to get married and move to New York City. They kept to their story to their friends and family, and left Rosewood behind.

To say their family was concerned was an understatement, but Emily's more than Alison's. Emily's mom tried multiple times to stop her from going, but Emily kept deflecting all of her mom's pleas. As for Emily's friends, her three closest friends were a bit weary and confused to say the least. Only Emily's friend Aria remained in Rosewood, living a quiet life with her camera and an eye for capturing beautiful photos. These three friends of Emily's had been her friends since middle school when they were twelve. She, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer came together in seventh grade and never looked back from their strong friendship. Spencer was in Washington DC with her boyfriend Toby, and Hanna was here in New York City with Caleb.

Alison turned around fully to face Emily this time, giving Emily a full view of another reason to why exactly they had left Rosewood behind. Alison rubbed her stomach, which was growing slightly due to the new life inside her. She was already halfway done with the pregnancy at twenty weeks, and her bump was clearly visible. It protruded outward and stretched the maroon tank top she had on. It looked like she had stuffed a flat basketball under her shirt, and was more visible than ever before. Alison caressed her stomach in a loving way, and Emily knew there would be no problem with the baby being in a nurturing environment.

Emily's eyes raised from watching Alison's hand stroke her stomach, "Um, I'm going to take this box up to my room," she said, softly and with slight awkwardness. "Are you going to need help with anything?"

"No, I think I got it. I'll call if I do though. Just get settled in," Alison said, her smile fading.

Emily nodded slightly, and headed upstairs to their bedrooms. There were three bedrooms in the house, and each one was going to be used. Despite being married in the eyes of everyone else, Emily and Alison were only good friends. Not once had any sort of romance been shared between them in the past ten years. Sure, they had had some romantic chemistry in high school, but nothing had ever been acted upon. Because they were only good friends, they decided to have separate rooms. The whole married act would only be done around company of other people. Alone, they would act just as friends. Alison insisted that Emily take the larger master bedroom, since she had forced Emily all the way out to New York City anyway. The remaining room would be used for the baby's when the time came.

Emily's bed was already in her room, and pushed against the wall by a large window. It was larger than her bedroom back in Rosewood, and having some extra room was nice. She set the box on her bed, adding it to the numerous amounts of boxes around her. She sighed and sat down next to the box on her bed. There was going to be a lot of unpacking clothes and keepsakes that she just couldn't leave behind.

Before she began, there was a soft knock on her door. Emily's looked up from where she sat, and answered with the usual, "come in." Alison entered the room, and closed the door softly behind her.

"Hey, do you want me to help you with your room? That way you can sleep a little easier tonight?" she asked.

"If you want, it's just clothes and small things really," Emily said, keeping her dark eyes locked with Alison's blue.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Alison said, moving towards a box marked "SWEATSHIRTS." She chuckled, "Your infamous sweatshirt collection."

"A girl can never have too many sweatshirts," Emily responded, as Alison moved to rip the packing tape off.

* * *

By nightfall, they were able to get both Emily and Alison's room unpacked. There were sheets on the bed, clothes in the closet and dresser, as well as items in the bedside table. They were the only two rooms that showed any clear sign of living in it at the moment. Emily's room was white, but her dark purple bed sheets and lilac comforter brought some much needed color into the room. They hung up a few photos of Emily from her younger days. They were professional photos that had been taken during her years at Pepperdine, specifically actions shots of days as a swimmer. Emily's bright orange swim cap stood out against the blue pool water, and her expression looked determined as she gasped for air.

A few of the other photos were candids during her semester in Spain, and from the two weeks she spent in Ghana during the summer. From the photos, it looked like Emily lived a fairly eventful life for her twenty-eight years of age. That was mostly true, and she was glad she had the opportunities she had. On her bedside table was two photos that cherished the most. One was of her and her three close friends in Philadelphia for a senior field trip. They all were smiling brightly, with eyes covered behind fashionable sunglasses. The other was a more somber photo to look at. It was at Emily's college graduation, where she stood in the middle of her two parents. Her cap and gown was black with a light blue trim on the inside. Her parents were beaming just as widely as her, probably more proud than she was for graduating. Her dad was leaning on Emily slightly, supporting some of his weight by doing so. Her mom on the other side was smiling too, with tear marks down her face. It was one of their proudest moments for their only child.

They ate pizza on the floor in the relatively empty living room. The chairs for their dining room hadn't arrived yet, and they didn't want to risk getting pizza sauce on the sectional. They ate facing each other, with legs crossed and focusing more on the pizza than each other.

"I got a bartending job in Manhattan," Emily said, breaking their comfortable silence. "You know until I can find something similar to what I was doing in Rosewood."

"That's great!" Alison gasped in surprise, looking up from her pineapple pizza. "I wanted to look into a teaching job, but a few months after this baby is born. What's the bar called?"

"It's a cigar bar," Emily said, taking a bite of her meat lover's pizza and chewing slowly. "It's called the Carnegie Club."

"Never heard of it," Alison said, stretching out her legs from their crossed position. "And for someone who smokes regularly during my pregnancy, you'd think I know."

Emily knew she was joking, and that Alison had probably never touched a cigarette since high school. She looked up at Alison's face, and noticed the slight twitch to the side of her mouth as she tried to hide a smile.

"You know, even if you were serious I don't think I'd be able to take you seriously," Emily said, a slight smile forming on her lips as well.

"And why's that?" Alison asked, pouting slightly.

"You have pineapple on your pizza," Emily said, smiling a bit wider. "What a joke. You're making fun of pizza."

"I'd agree with you if it weren't for these damn cravings," Alison said, rubbing her stomach. "This baby has made me eat pickles with sriracha and yogurt at the same time."

"Gross," Emily cringed, as they both laughed into their pizza. It was the first time she could remember in a while.

* * *

Emily glanced at her clock as she began to fall asleep. 11:03PM. Not too bad for a first night. She expected to be up later, stressfully unpacking. She and Alison seemed to have a good understanding between them, and had a good sense of each other's limits.

From her window, Emily could make out the half full moon that was growing as each night passed. At her old house in Rosewood, she could see the moon from her house. It was bright, and casted its blue light down on the street. For a city that never slept, Bay Ridge was pretty quiet at night. Sure, cars went by maybe a few times a minute, but it was far quieter than what she envisioned of a New York neighborhood. Maybe it was because they were in Brooklyn, and not the center of the city. She could only imagine what Manhattan looked like right now.

She had been trying to fall asleep for maybe fifteen minutes, but thoughts about her job cluttered her mind. Of course, she didn't want to stay at this bar forever. But she wondered if any practice would be hiring, or would hire her. What if she was stuck in New York City bartending forever?

Pushing away her thoughts, Emily's eyes soon fluttered closed and she began to slowly drift into a peaceful sleep. The bed she laid in was warm, and her comforter was pulled up under her arms. It was the same bed she had back at her old house, but for some reason tonight it seemed just a bit more comfortable.

Just as her mind was about to slip into sleep, she felt someone push on her shoulder and shake her slightly. Emily's eyes shot open, wondering who was disturbing her so late that night. She saw Alison standing over her, blonde hair hanging in front of her face as she bent over Emily. Emily rubbed her eyes and yawned, looking up at the blonde beauty before her. She noticed Alison's Grinch pajamas, and knew it was her favorite Christmas movie. How fitting.

"Hey," Emily mumbled sleepily, and looked back up at Alison. "What's going on?"

"I can't sleep," Alison said, rather sheepishly. "I-...I'm scared. That he's going to follow us or something."

Emily shush Alison comfortingly, "Hey, don't think like that." she said, reaching out to grab Alison's hand. "You don't know that, I don't think he'd be crazy enough to do that."

"You don't know him like I do," Alison said, a deep seriousness in her tone.

Emily sighed, "I don't. But, you're more than welcome to sleep in here with me. If that would make you feel any better."

"Are you sure?" Alison asked, her voice raising hopefully.

"Yeah, of course. I sleep better with someone next to me anyway," Emily said, tapping the right side of the bed that she wasn't sleeping on.

A few seconds later, Alison was snuggling under the blankets on the other side of the bed. Emily rubbed her forehead with her left hand, and wondered if she would ever fall asleep tonight. She knew why Alison was on edge, it made Emily on edge too. She felt bad that the whole ordeal was preventing Alison from feeling safe, even in her own house. She hoped that sleeping in the same bed would find her some comfort, even if sleeping in the same bed wasn't their original intention in the first place.

"Look, I can't promise that he'll leave us alone," Emily said, turning to face Alison. She had her back to Emily, her blonde waves spread out on the pillow. "But I can promise that I will protect you and your baby in any way possible. I came out here with you after all, right? That has to show that I'm willing to do anything."

Alison didn't respond, and at first Emily thought that she may have fallen asleep. A few seconds passed, and Emily heard a small sigh issue from Alison's lips.

"It's your baby too Em," Alison responded. "You're the egg donor we used after all. The baby is yours just as much as it is mine."

"I know," Emily sighed. "It's just weird to think that the baby has my genes, or that it is mine. A few weeks ago I was just a donor."

"But things are different now," Alison replied. "If you're going to help me raise the baby, the circumstances change a bit."

* * *

( **Clearly not a G!P fic, so don't get any funny ideas)**


	2. Chapter 2

" _Alright, Eric," Emily said, straightening up from her hunched over position. "Looks like you're all done with your ankle exercises today. Does it feel any better?"_

" _Kind of," Eric winced, and began to reattach his brace to his ankle. He was a wide receiver for the high school football team. He broke his ankle when he was tackled, and had been coming to Emily at her room in the gym wing of the school. A lot of students came to her for relief on their sports injuries. It was a shame for Eric, since it was only mid September and he would have to sit out for the rest of the season._

 _There was a small knock on the door, making Emily turn around to see who had knocked. Alison DiLaurentis was standing in the doorway, smiling at Emily. Emily smiled back, and began looking for Eric's file._

" _How can I help you, Miss DiLaurentis?" Emily asked, as Eric grabbed his crutches and stood up. She turned to Eric and smiled, "You're all done for today. Come back if you need ice or anything."_

 _Alison waited for Eric to leave the room, before closing the door behind her. "So, I have a bit of a personal question for you."_

 _Emily frowned slightly, what could Alison possibly want to know that was 'personal?'_

" _Um sure, ask away," Emily said, crossing her arms in front of her chest._

" _This may be a really weird question, but I know you mentioned that you had frozen some of your eggs to make some extra money. And, well I recently discovered that I couldn't use my own eggs and-"_

" _You and your fiance want to use mine to have a baby. I get it," Emily said, nodding. "Why me though?"_

" _Why not you? What part of you would I not want in my kids?" Alison laughed._

 _Emily smiled, "I get that. But, in vitro fertilization is a lot of money. What made you choose the option to do that? You and your fiance would be spending a lot of money."_

" _Well, Elliot wanted to do this and thanks to the money my mom left me when she died, and the money he already has I think we will be just fine," Alison smiled. It was if she had this response prepared._

" _If you guys think this is the right decision for starting a family and are willing to pay the money, I'd be happy to help you two start a family," Emily smiled, she could use the extra money anyway._

 _Alison's face brightened up as she beamed, "Would you really?" she asked excitedly. "Thank you so much!"_

* * *

 **March 14th, 2022**

* * *

Emily woke up from her peaceful sleep, to the sound of phone vibrating on her bedside table. It was her daily alarm, which woke her up at 7am each morning. Emily frowned with her eyes still closed, not wanting to get up to go on her daily run just yet.

She soon realized that her arm was loosely wrapped around Alison's waist, and that Alison's back was pressed against her front. She could smell Alison's shampoo from where she lay, which was strong in her nose due to the fact it was so foreign. Emily didn't make a move to release Alison from the position they were in, in fact she felt a nice sensation from the close proximity. She couldn't recall when they had moved together, if there was a reason at all. Emily wanted nothing more to go back to sleep, and stay enveloped with warmth and comfort. There was never a romantic relationship between Alison and Emily, but Emily felt nothing wrong with the position that they were in. It was nice to feel this kind of warmth.

After a mental battle with her mind, Emily finally found the strength to let go of Alison and sit up in bed. The room was slightly cold, maybe the windows were leaking air. Emily was just wearing an old t-shirt too, which probably had something to do with it. She knew that there was no food in the house for them to eat for breakfast, but their fridge had at least been installed. Emily stretched and pushed the covers off of her. She stood up, and looked back at Alison. She was still peacefully sleeping, and Emily felt a bit bad that she was going to leave her alone. Especially after expressing her worry last night.

She changed as silently as she could, pulling on black running leggings and a black long sleeved shirt. She wore a lot of black when she ran, and it was probably a good thing that she didn't run at night. Knowing that it was going to be cold out, as slipped on a light blue vest to at least keep her somewhat warm. Giving one last look at Alison, Emily exited the room and headed towards the door.

* * *

The Shore Parkway was definitely a good running route. The only thing Emily had to worry about was other people. She could see out into the choppy water of the narrows, as she ran towards the bridge. Fishermen were already scattered along the concrete parkway, sitting down next to their multiple fishing poles. They were determined to catch something, and would sit around all day waiting for a bite. There were a few others out running on the parkway as well, some smiled nicely as they crossed paths. Others were focused more on their running, and kept looking straight ahead.

At the five mile marker, and a completed running music playlist, Emily slowed down to a stop nearby her new house. She was a bit out of breath, after all she did run a bit faster than normal. It was almost 8am, and there still was nothing to eat in the house. According to her phone, there was a grocery store nearby. Thank god for the Apple Pay app, she could get some small breakfast groceries for now.

* * *

Emily shut the door behind her, after getting home from the grocery store. She could hear the sound of running water through the pipes coming from upstairs. Alison must be in the shower, she was sure of it. Emily sighed, and brought the two plastic bags of groceries into the kitchen. She set it down on the kitchen island, which was still bare. Not much of anything in the kitchen had been unpacked yet, making Emily dig through a few boxes in order to find a few bowls and coffee mugs. She unloaded the groceries from their bags. Milk, coffee grounds, cream, sugar, and cereal.

Just as she was setting up the coffee maker, and putting the coffee grounds in it, her phone began to ring on the kitchen island. She frowned, and walked over to it. A photo of her mom was on the screen, and the caller ID said, "Mom" too. Emily stared at her phone screen for a few seconds, wondering if she should bother to pick up. She remembered she had promised to call her when she they were settled in last night... and that didn't happen.

"Hi mom," Emily said, trying to sound cheerful as she picked up the phone. Emily heard the water from the shower cut off. Alison must be done, it sounded like she had taken a long shower. Emily couldn't blame her.

"Hi honey, I never got a call from you last night," her mother Pam answered.

"Yeah about that. We were busy unpacking, it was a tiring day."

"How is the unpacking going? Is there a lot to do still?" Pam asked, worriedly.

"Nothing that we can't handle."

Emily and her mom exchanged a few more small talk phrases, and Emily could feel the awkward tension in the air. Unsurprisingly, the fact Emily decided to suddenly move did not rub her mother the right way,

"Emily," her mom began. Her voice was tentative, and Emily knew she was trying to think about what she was going to say to her. "I don't think that this New York move was a good idea."

Emily sighed, "I know mom, you've told me. But, this is my life and this was something that I wanted to do," Emily said, trying to persuade her mom. It was hard trying not to sound like she was lying.

"I know, I know. But you had a good job here in Rosewood. You were the physical therapist and the varsity swim coach! That was one of your biggest dreams, Em!" Pam retorted.

"And I lived that dream, but things change mom. I'm twenty-eight years old, I can make my own decisions," Emily said sternly, making her think about how she would have to use that voice on her own child one day if things worked out. Her stomach flipped a little, she wasn't sure she was ready for parenthood just yet.

"Emily you ran off with a pregnant woman who was engaged a week before. And you got married just like that, and you didn't invite anyone to this wedding. Do you know how hurt Aria was when she found out? I ran into her yesterday at the grocery store and-"

"Okay, mom, I get it. I know they're all upset, but you don't have to make me feel worse about it," Emily said, cutting her mom off. "And it's my baby too. She's pregnant with my baby. I'm happy, and we're going to be happy together if you would just let us live."

"That's not how being an egg donor works, you don't have to run off with the surrogate mother to help raise the baby!" Pam argued.

"Don't you think I know that? Listen, I love Alison and I love our baby. Please just accept that," Emily said, her voice raising as she stared intently at the granite of the island countertop.

"Is this about your dad?" Pam asked. "Did you leave to get away from his memory?"

Emily heard soft footsteps on the stairs, but still heard them nonetheless. She was thankful that Alison's presence gave her an excuse to end her call with her mom. And at that moment, she didn't want to argue with her mom and she especially didn't want to talk about her dad in that context.

"Hey I gotta go," Emily said, quickly. "I'll talk to you later."

Before her mother could respond, Emily quickly pulled her cellphone away from her ear and hit the end call button a few times. Alison entered the kitchen as Emily locked her cellphone and placed it down on the countertop.

"Who was that?" Alison asked, as Emily poured some cereal into a bowl. Emily looked over at her, as she approached and leaned against the island. Her hair was still damp, and it got wavier when it was wet. She was wearing a tanktop and the same pajama pants that she had on the night before. Emily quickly noticed that she wasn't wearing a bra under her tanktop, and focused instead on pouring milk into the bowl of cereal.

"Oh just my mom. She was giving me the normal run down on why coming here wasn't a good idea," Emily said, making a point to keep constant eye contact with Alison when she looked at her.

"Ah right, I should've known. Jason won't stop texting me either, so I know how it must be," Alison sighed. "All the negative feedback has really made me think about coming here."

"Me too," Emily sighed, going to pour herself a cup of coffee. "But, I think being away from Pennsylvania is safer for you. At least for right now, if everything settles down we can go back if you want."

Alison gave her a small smile, "What about want you want?"

Emily stared at her for a moment, "What I want is to make sure that you and your baby are safe. Do you want some coffee?"

"Please," Alison responded quietly. "I heard you say that you loved me. Rather loudly actually."

Emily finished pouring the coffee and turned to place a cup down in front of Ali, "Yeah, I thought it would help to convince her that we're fine out here."

"Right, of course," Alison said, grabbing the cream and sugar for her coffee.

* * *

It wasn't until Alison was laying on an exam table getting a clear gel spread across her growing stomach that it hit Emily that there was definitely a baby inside her. She had seen ultrasound pictures, when the baby looked like a bean. But this would be different because for one, Emily was there to witness it and not just see a photo a piece of paper. This also was the day they would find out the sex of their baby. Emily wasn't nervous until that one moment, as the doctor spread the gel across Alison's stomach. This was real.

"So this is just going to be a routine ultrasound to make sure the baby is healthy," the doctor said, looking at both Emily and Ali. "And today you'll also be able to find out if your baby is a baby boy or a baby girl. Are you interested in finding that out today?"

They had discussed it on the car ride there, they wanted to know. Alison mentioned it would give her some relief to just know, since she had been worried constantly about the baby's well being.

"Yeah, we'd like to know," Alison said, opening her hand slightly and holding it out for Emily. Emily looked down at her hand, and reached for it quietly. Their fingers laced together, easing both of their nerves with just the simple contact.

"Perfect! Well, everything is setup so I'd just ask that you relax while I put the transducer probe on your stomach," the doctor said to Alison, who nodded and looked up at Emily for support. In response, Emily squeezed her hand lightly.

Once the probe was placed on Alison's stomach, Emily felt Alison's hand tighten in hers. She wrapped another hand around Ali's, so that she was holding her hand with both of hers. They waited in anticipation as the doctor moved the probe around in search of the baby. The image on the screen almost looked like dark water, until a light gray colored outline began to show up on the screen.

The first thing Emily saw was a head, a clearly distinguishable head. She held her breath in anticipation, as she saw a hand near the mouth of the baby. She felt chills up her spine, this was life. And this was a part of her. No one else had used her eggs yet, so she hadn't felt the experience of a baby actually living and having her DNA. It was surreal to look at the screen and know that they shared some of the same genes, the same DNA. Her thoughts began to cloud with who was the other person the baby shared the DNA with. She sighed, and wondered if Alison wondered often if the baby would look like him.

"And that is your baby!" the doctor said, rather enthusiastically. "Looks like they're sucking on their thumb."

Emily tore her eyes away from the screen and looked down at Alison, who was also watching the screen intently.

"This is the fluttering in the stomach I must feel," Alison smiled.

"They're about the size of a small banana right now," the doctor informed her. "Only about six and a half inches long."

She fiddled with a few buttons on the screen, and grabbed the mouse to click on something. Within a few seconds, a rhythmic sound filled the dark exam room. It was indescribable, and quick paced.

"And that is your baby's heartbeat!" the doctor smiled. She seemed just as happy for them as both Emily and Ali.

The heartbeat was beautiful, and unlike anything that she had ever experienced. She looked at Alison, who was already looking directly up at her. She was smiling widely, and Emily could see the tears brimming in her light blue eyes.

"Isn't it something?" Alison asked.

After a few minutes, the doctor turned off the sound of the heartbeat and moved the probe to get a different view. The next view they got was of the baby's feet, which were tiny and showed an upward view of the baby.

"So these are the feet, you can see the little toes here," the doctor said, pointing to the tiny specks of toes. "I'll just get a closer look at the upward view to see if I can find a sign of it being a baby girl or a baby boy."

They waited for a few more seconds, and Emily could hear the sound of her own heartbeat in her ears.

"Alright ladies! It looks like from the part sticking out right here that your baby is going to be a baby boy!"

A boy! Emily smiled, even though she didn't care about if the baby was a boy or girl. She wondered if Alison had a preference, and squeezed her hand. She looked up at Emily and smiled, though Emily noticed something in her eyes. Emily thought about what kind of person the baby boy would grow up to be. Would he stand out and be different? Would he like sports? Or would he like to draw or write?

"You okay?" Emily asked, smiling as she stroked Alison's hair out of her fac.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm more than fine," Alison said, and Emily wondered how legitimate her response had been. Was she scared the baby boy would a lot like him?


	3. Chapter 3

It was almost like clockwork that Alison appeared in the doorway of Emily's room that night. Emily was lying awake in bed reading a book, as if she was expectedly waiting for Alison to come inside. The book she was reading was a mystery book, and she was so wrapped up in the story that it gave her reason to stay up as well.

When Alison appeared in the doorway, Emily immediately looked up from her book and smiled softly. She pushed the rim of her glasses up her nose in order to see Alison better, and saw her standing rather sheepishly. One hand was on her stomach, and she was rubbing her bump with her thumb. One of the straps of her tanktop was falling down slightly from her shoulder, hanging rather loosely on her upper arm. Her hair was french braided, and slightly frazzled.

"Hey," Emily said, her voice portraying comfort and care. "Can't sleep?"

"I can't even get tired," Alison admitted, letting out a slight laugh. Emily could tell she wasn't enthused with the fact she couldn't sleep easy.

"There's always a spot for you in my bed," Emily said, reassuringly. She simultaneously moved over to one side, and gently pat the area next to her.

Alison beamed widely at her remark, and didn't protest. She fluidly moved towards the other side of the bed and got under the blankets. As she was snuggling under the covers, Emily removed her glasses and placed them on the bedside table. She placed the book she was reading down next to it, choosing Alison's comfort over finding out what detrimental clue the lead detective found when searching the limousine of the suspect.

Alison was laying on her side, turned towards Emily. Her blue eyes watched her silently as Emily set the book down and snuggled down under the covers too. When she looked at Emily this way, it was as if ten years had been taken off Alison's face. It wasn't that Alison looked old, it was that she didn't look sixteen anymore. But the look she gave Emily as she watched her brought Emily right back to when she was sixteen in high school. It caught Emily off guard a little bit, and reminded her of her previous feelings for Alison back in high school.

"You know I used to have trouble sleeping," Emily admitted, in an effort to make Alison feel better.

"Really?" Alison asked, smiling slightly.

"I did," Emily said, keeping her voice soft and low. "I used to have a really in depth imagination as a kid. I came up with such detailed little scenarios in my head of various things, that my brain would always be so active and I'd stay awake!"

"That totally sounds like something you'd do," Alison giggled.

"With your luck, your son will probably be like that. The active mind seems to run in the family, my dad had it too," Emily chuckled, remembering her dad's sleepless nights.

Alison smiled, and closed her eyes. "If he's anything like you, he'd be an amazing baby. Just think of all the dark hair."

"And the brown eyes. Sorry to say but, there is probably a 0% chance of any color eyes other than brown," Emily laughed. Absolutely everyone on her side of the family had brown eyes.

"That's good though. I like brown eyes, especially deep brown ones like yours," Alison said, locking eyes with Emily.

"You feeling a little bit less uneasy?" Emily asked, her eyebrows furrowing with concern.

"A little. I have you and the baby to comfort me after all," Alison said, closing her eyes.

In less than five minutes, Alison had her back to Emily and was breathing deeply. Emily was relieved she had fallen asleep and hoped her active mind would let her rest. Just as she was getting comfortable, she reached out for Alison and draped an arm over her hip lazily. It made Emily feel better to know she could feel that Alison and her baby were safe. Alison moved backward in her sleep, pressing her backside against Emily's front. She let a sigh issue from her nose, a mixture of relief and contentment. Emily was just happy Alison felt safe enough to sleep.

As she fell asleep, Emily thought about her upcoming first day at work and getting drinks with Hanna before that. She hoped Hanna wouldn't be mad like the other girls seemed to be, Hanna was her best friend out of all of them. She continued to think about this as she drifted off, and what would come of the next few days. Oh, and Alison's hair. What shampoo did she use that made it smell so good?

* * *

 **March 18th, 2022**

* * *

The early Friday night air was cool, and to make up for it Emily zipped up a black hoodie over her outfit. She was ready for her first shift as a bartender at the cigar bar. The attire that each bartender had to wear was a white button up shirt and black dress pants. She felt bad for leaving Alison home alone, but felt confident that she'd be safe. There was no way he could already have known where they were. Plus, their Netflix account was up and running so she would have something to occupy her in Emily's absence.

Emily got in her car and drove towards the city. She was leaving early for her 8pm shift one, because of the horrendous traffic that was bound to happen, and Hanna was going to be meeting her at a different bar for a quick drink and a catch up. Emily was still a bit nervous for this catch up, and hoped she wouldn't yell at her for her "spur of the moment decisions."

Hanna was already there at the bar when Emily walked in. This was a first, Hanna was almost always the last one to show up. It probably was because Emily had a hard time finding a parking spot on the street, and she knew Hanna used the subway to get everywhere. She was seated at the bar with one leg crossed over the other. Her fingers were tapping away on her phone, Hanna had always been an extremely fast typer.

Emily approached Hanna, and slid into the seat next to her at the bar. Hanna looked up from her phone, and quickly let out a squeak of excitement while leaning forward to wrap her arms around Emily's neck.

"Emily!" she said, enthusiastically. "I've missed you so much!"

"Me too!" Emily said, her voice straining as she struggled to breathe, but hugged Hanna back nonetheless. "I think the last time we saw each other was Christmas."

"Ugh, it has been _too_ long," Hanna sighed. "I ordered you an Old Fashioned, you still like those right? I figured you would be arriving any second."

Like clockwork, the bartender behind the counter placed a martini in front of Hanna and an Old Fashioned in front of Emily. Emily raised her eyebrow slightly at Hanna's drink of choice, which didn't go unnoticed by Hanna.

"I'm kind of obsessed with these recently," Hanna said, picking up the triangular shaped glass to take a sip.

"Ditching the fruity daiquiris?" Emily asked, smiling. She was relieved that they fell into easy conversation, and took a sip from her own drink.

"Em, I just turned twenty-eight. It was time to upgrade, I'm getting old," Hanna sighed, putting down her drink. "We're almost thirty and Caleb hasn't even proposed yet."

"Have you guys ever talked about it?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, like briefly in passing. I don't know, he's not like the type to talk about it for long," Hanna said. "And these are prime baby making years too! Like look at you and Alison!"

Emily laughed nervously, coming up with ways in her head to steer the conversation away from the topic of the unexpected coupling of she and Alison. "Well, you can always propose to him."

"You're right, I should," Hanna laughed. "So was the move good? Are you guys all settled now?"

"Yeah, actually," Emily said, nodding and turning her body towards Hanna. "It only took a few days, but we were pretty focused on getting everything done."

"Have you guys made any plans or done any work on a room for the baby yet?" Hanna asked. "If not, you know I have a hidden talent for interior design."

"No we haven't, but when you come over for dinner with Caleb you can totally check out the room we have planned," Emily said, reaching into her sweatshirt pocket. "And, as asked here you go."

Emily put the photo of the ultrasound in front of Hanna's drink, and pushed it towards her. Hanna made an excited and high pitched noise before grabbing the photo. Out of her three best friends, Hanna seemed the most excited and involved in the development of this baby. Emily was glad to know that she at least had Hanna to obsess over him, and hopefully be a babysitter whenever she and Alison needed a night to themselves.

"Oh my god, so small!" Hanna mused, holding the photo close to her face. "And look at those little feet! Oh my god, is it a boy or a girl? Did you guys find out? Wait, no, don't tell me I want it to be a surprise...Actually tell me, I want to help you guys come up with a name."

"It's a boy," Emily smiled. "And right now he's only the size of a small banana."

"No way, shut up!" Hanna said, looking back down at the photo. "That is going to be so cute, a little boy. Have you thought about naming him after your dad?"

Emily swallowed dryly, and took another sip of her drink, "No, I haven't. We've both been too busy and exhausted to sit down and talk about names."

"Well, at least you have time," Hanna said. "City living treating you well? I know you never liked the city."

"I decided to give it a shot. Plus, Bay Ridge isn't very city like. I'm glad we aren't living in an apartment," Emily admitted.

"You got that right, sister. You don't have to experience the very loud and nosy sex of the couple above you at three AM sometimes," Hanna said, rolling her eyes. "I think the woman watches too much porn, she sounds like a pornstar. It's so fake."

"And you would know what a pornstar sounds like?" Emily teased.

"Don't tell me you forgot about our interesting fiasco through PornHub that one time we had a sleepover when we were sixteen," Hanna said. "I don't think Aria slept that night at all."

"Eh, watching straight people having sex bores me. I kind of tuned it out," Emily admitted.

"So you admit you watch porn!" Hanna said, a little too loudly. Emily heard the bartender snigger under his breath.

"I didn't say that, did you forget that movies and tv shows often contain sex scenes? Almost all of which are between a man and woman?" Emily asked.

"True, you got me there. Friends With Benefits was a great movie," Hanna said, looking at the bartender. Her eyes flickered from him, to the thin silver band on Emily's ring finger. "You know I'm kind of salty about you not inviting me to your wedding."

"Well Han, if it makes you feel better no one was invited to the wedding," Emily sighed. "It was kind of an eloping thing. If we ever redo our vows, I can assure you that you will definitely be the maid of honor."

Emily felt bad for having to lie to Hanna like this, and knew Hanna was hurt that Emily didn't even tell her until after it happened. She promised herself that once everything settled down, Hanna would be the first person that she told the truth and the entire truth to. Reassuring Hanna that she would be maid of honor seemed to lighten the conversation a little bit, but it was hard for their conversation to flow easily and lightly again.

* * *

A little while later, Emily was behind the bar now at the Carnegie Club. Her first shift was going well, and not too many people were ordering complicated drinks. Most people just ordered a whiskey to have with their expensive cigar. One thing that Emily was not used to was that there seemed to be a light fog throughout the bar from the cigar smoke. Every breath she took smelled like a cigar too, which wasn't as unpleasant as the smell of a cigarette, but Emily was not a huge fan of breathing it in constantly. Her manager was a bit of an asshole too, and left most of the staff to do his work. Emily didn't argue with him, and just did her job. She knew better than to get on the wrong side of people above her, and knew it would make her life easier to just not protest. She did however feel bad for the assistant manager, who was left to do all the grunt work that their manager was failing to do. Emily hadn't met her yet, but she seemed nice. She knew her name was Aubrey, and that she was twenty-three.

At around 10pm, less people started ordering drinks. This gave Emily an opportunity to wipe down her work area, and converse with a few of the men sitting at the bar. She knew that friendly chatter and (although she didn't like it) casual flirting meant more tips. She laughed along with the men's bad attempts at flirtatious jokes, since it meant that there would be a ten dollar bill sitting on top of the tab instead of a few ones.

There were about four men sitting at the bar when Emily had a chance to talk, and they were spread out by a few barstools. Two of them seemed to be there alone, while the other two looked like old friends who were out together. One of the men who was alone, had been smiling and watching at her as she wiped down the table. He seemed to be in his early fifties, blonde buzz cut, slightly orange spray tan, with a cigar and whiskey in hand.

"How long have you been working here, sweetheart?" he asked, his voice raspy which made it clear that the cigar he was holding had not been the only one he had had in his lifetime.

"Today's my first day actually," Emily said, smiling slightly. "I just moved to New York City a few days ago."

"Are you seeing anybody right now?" he asked, cutting straight to the chase. Some men were more blunt than others when they were interested in her. This man was one of the blunt guys, where as other guys danced around the question to see if Emily would admit to it herself.

"Uh, yes actually," Emily nodded. "I'm married, and we're expecting a baby."

"Oh really!" he exclaimed, and Emily felt suspicious of his enthusiasm. "How far are you along?"

"Well, I'm not the one who's pregnant," Emily informed him. "My wife is twenty weeks along."

"Even better! I was wondering how a pregnant bartender would do in here, since secondhand smoke can be bad for babies," he said. "Are you planning on staying a bartender here for long?"

"Until I can find a better job. I used to be a physical therapist back at my hometown until I moved here, but no one seems to be hiring at the moment. I used to bartend a lot in college, and my wife and I needed the money," Emily sighed. "But, I'm hoping not to stay here forever."

"Why'd you leave your hometown and a good job? You want to come to the great city of New York that much, huh?" he asked, leaning back in the barstool he was sitting on.

Emily shrugged, "I just needed a change mostly. Being in the same suburb was making us go a little crazy."

Lying to strangers was easier, Emily realized. And hopefully this man remained a stranger. She had been making him another champagne cocktail, which she poured into a new glass and placed in front of him.

"You're gorgeous, you know that?" he asked her, once she was right in front of him.

"Well, you're not the first person who's told me that," Emily said, winking at him. He smiled at her, and she knew he thought she was into him. Gross. She almost gagged a bit, he reeked of cologne when she got too close.

Before she could walk away, he slid his card across the table, "Name's Vance Savett. Call me if you need anymore work to help you and your wife out. I think I can set you up."

Emily didn't have enough time to read it, as one of the waitresses was at the bar now and asking for Emily to make a mojito. She pocketed the card in her apron, and moved to start making a new drink.

At the end of her shift when everyone had cleared out at 2AM, Emily was thoroughly wiping down the barstools and all the surfaces. The closing waitress was flipping the chairs onto the tables, and the assistant manager was counting the paper money that they had made that night. Emily looked up at her for a few seconds on occasion, as all three of them worked in silence. Her brows were knit together in concentration, and she counted the money quickly. Her mouth moved slightly as she quietly counted the money, saying the numbers in less than a whisper.

"Honestly, I don't know why Gavin is the manager," she said, as Emily got closer.

Emily laughed under her breath, "Does he always leave you to do his work?"

"Most of the time yeah," she sighed, loudly. "And yet he's the one getting paid more than me an hour."

"I'm sure you can frame him for something to get him fired, that way you can take his manager position," Emily suggested, a smile teasing her lips. She was a pretty woman, who still kind of looked like she was in high school. She was just an adorable kind of cute, with prominent dimples. Emily noticed this when she smiled at the joke she just made, and she had an enjoyable laugh to hear.

"You're Emily, right? The only productive thing Gavin's done in the past two weeks was hire you. It looks like you made some really good tips!" she said, pointing to the Emily's tip pile next to the money she was counting.

"Yeah, it's Emily. And the trick is to let the guys that you're serving seem like you're interested," Emily said, taking her tip pile and pocketing it. "And you're Aubrey?"

"You got it. Aubrey Masiano, a major in biochemistry yet here I am an assistant manager to a douche bag. Using that diploma well. So your bartending strategy is kind of like escorting?" she asked, teasingly.

"I guess so," Emily laughed. "If you put it that way."

"Hey, I'm just making a comparison. I don't usually have much tolerance for sleazeballs, and I'm not the one who's trying to get money out of them," Aubrey said.

Emily and Aubrey exchanged a bit more of a conversation, before the bar was closed for the night and the three of them were allowed to go. Emily removed the business card out of her pocket when she went to go to hang her apron. She read the card quickly, and had to stop in her tracks to process what she was reading.

"Vance the Talent Manager, an international Porn & Mainstream Talent Manager, Casting Director, Producer & Performer," the card read.

Emily groaned in disgust, why was she not surprised. She crumbled the business card up and tossed it in the kitchen trash on her way to hang up her apron. Only in NYC she guessed.

* * *

It was close to 3AM by the time Emily got home. She opened the door to their house quietly and tried her best to make a minimal amount of noise. Every light in the house was off downstairs, which was probably a good sign. She kept the lights off as she took off her shoes and black sweatshirt, and climbed the stairs to her bedroom.

The light was on in her room, and the door was closed. She turned the handle silently and opened the door, expecting to see someone laying in her bed. She was right, and saw Alison propped up on the pillows reading the same book Emily had been for the past few nights.

"Still awake?" Emily asked, as Alison's head shot up in surprise to look at her.

"Yeah, I can't sleep alone," Alison replied sheepishly.

"Me neither," Emily said, trying to make Alison feel better. "How's the baby?"

"He's good," Alison answered. "He's definitely made the bathroom one of the most visited rooms in the house for me though."

Emily smiled, and moved to sit down on her side of the bed. Her back ached and sleeping sounded like the best thing in the world at the moment.

"You smell like smoke," Alison said, and Emily turned to see her nose wrinkled in disgust.  
"It is a cigar bar after all," Emily said, softly. She turned back around and began unbuttoning her collared shirt. She quickly smelt one of the sleeves, which did in fact stink of smoke.

"Well they put you in a good outfit for it. You look good Em," Alison remarked, causing Emily to smile.

"Thank you," Emily replied. "Apparently I looked so good that an adult film agent gave me his card in attempts to recruit me. Or become my sugar daddy, I couldn't tell. He did smoke the most expensive cigar we had though."

"Oh my god, did he really?" Alison gasped.

"Yup, he was quite the character too," Emily laughed, as she reached for the pajamas in a heap next to her bed. "Despite the fact I mentioned to him I was married with a baby on the way."

With her back to Alison, she removed her bra and pulled the old t-shirt over her head. Once sliding out of her black dress pants, she pulled on the flannel pajama pants she had owned since college and climbed under the covers next to Alison.

"Do you think we'll make good mothers?" Alison asked, catching Emily off guard.

Emily bit her lip in thought, "I think that together we will be amazing mothers."

This seemed to be enough for Alison, who was smiling even after Emily returned from the bathroom after removing her contacts and brushing her teeth. It didn't take much for both of them to fall asleep that night, since both were extremely exhausted. The only thing it took was Emily's arm draped lazily on Alison's hip.

* * *

 **Sorry for the MIA! Life has been SO busy, and I've finally had some time to write. PLEASE be sure to leave a review, as your input means the world to me.**

 **xx Ky**


	4. Chapter 4

**March 19th, 2022**

* * *

Emily knew she hit her alarm off when it sounded loudly that morning, and then immediately fell back asleep. Waking up that early after the long night she had just had was nearly impossible. Plus, Alison was extremely warm and comfortable, and her backside fit snugly into Emily's front. Who would be able to resist snuggling into her and falling back asleep?

But, this time when Emily awoke there wasn't a warm body that she had her arm around. The spot next to her was cold, and the blankets disheveled. Emily blinked and looked around for any sign of Alison in the room. Emily soon discovered that she was the only one in the room, and slowly got out of bed. She checked her phone to see two message notifications from Hanna, and that it was close to 11am. It was a bit chilly in the bedroom, and going right back to bed sounded like a really good idea. Her curiosity on where Alison could have gone got the better of her, causing Emily to get out of bed and stretch. It was a bright sunny day once again, and a few rays of sunlight hit the floor of her bedroom in a soft glow.

She descended the staircase after pulling on her running clothes and found Alison emerging from the kitchen, a cardboard box in hand. She was breaking down the box by ripping the packing tape off of it, successfully making the brown box go flat. There were a few more cardboard boxes already flat and stacked on the floor.

"Officially moved in," Alison said, casually as she smiled up at Emily. "Pretty sure that is everything now."

"Wow, you did all of that? I'm sorry I didn't help, you should've left me a few boxes. I've barely helped at all," Emily said, reaching the bottom of the steps. Alison threw the flat box in the pile as Emily approached.

"Don't apologize. You were at work, and I haven't had much to do here," Alison said, waving her off. That didn't help the feeling of guilt in Emily's stomach, knowing that she Alison was alone while she was at work.

"About that," Emily began. "Maybe you should look for something to do? I'm not really sure what you're into, but sitting around the house alone all day has to be pretty boring."

"Sort of. High school me would've gone absolutely crazy, but I can appreciate the silence and alone time. I've already finished three seasons of a show on Netflix," Alison said, trying to reassure Emily. "And besides, I'm not alone. I have our baby."

Alison reached out her hand for Emily's guiding it to her growing bump. Emily felt nothing but the fabric of Alison's shirt under her palm. "I think you'll be able to feel him start kicking me any day now," Alison said, happily.

Emily rubbed her thumb against Alison's stomach, as if waiting for some sort of movement to come from the unborn child. Her brows furrowed in anticipation, as if just her touch could trigger a kick. As the moments passed, and it seemed that she would not be able to feel their son just yet, the doorbell rang followed by a knock on the door.

Emily pulled her hand away, as Alison looked in the direction of the front door. For a moment, Emily's thought flashed to someone sinister being behind the door. Just the person they were trying to get away from. Had they been found only a few minutes after officially moving in? She looked at Alison and wondered the same thing, quickly making a move to go and check who was at the door. If it was who she thought it could be, she didn't want Alison or the baby anywhere near the entrance.

Emily peered out of the window in their door, and quickly realized that the two people on the other side were complete strangers. She sighed in relief, and opened the door once she regained her composure. The two strangers greeted Emily with a smile, and both of them had something in their hands. It was a man and a woman, who looked about the same age as she and Alison. The rather tall man was holding a glass baking dish filled with what looked like french toast. Apple slices were neatly arranged on the top, formed into little flowers petals. The woman next to him was holding a vase with a bouquet of beautiful white lilies.

"Hi!" the man said, his white smile contrasting nicely with his darker skin. His hair was shaved down to a point where he was almost bald, and well kempt whiskers covered the lower half of his face. His arms were also very strong looking, and his whole body shape made it seem like he spent some time at the gym. Over his strong body he wore a baby blue colored shirt and khakis, making his light colored eyes pop. "You both must be the new neighbors, we just wanted to say welcome and bring a housewarming present. My name's Omari Balewa, and this is my wife Natalia."

Although even Emily could admit that Omari was attractive, his wife next to him was absolutely stunning. She had a similar color skin as Emily, with curly deep brown hair and dark brown eyes. She was wearing tight running clothes as well, and from what Emily saw she was the definition of body goals. She even had a dusting of freckles on her cheeks.

"Wow, that's so nice of you guys," Emily said, opening the door wider as Alison slowly moved towards the front entrance. "My name's Emily, and this is my wife Alison."

Omari held his hands out so that Emily could take the glass baking dish from him, which was still steaming hot. Emily looked down at the freshly baked breakfast, her mouth already watering at the sight.

"French toast is actually my favorite breakfast food," Emily remarked. "This looks _amazing._ "

Natalia chuckled, as Omari smiled at Emily's compliment, "Well, Omari is the chef in the family after all. I can't cook to save my life, only box mac and cheese."

"I actually am the head chef at a restaurant over in Manhattan. It's called Print, over in Hell's Kitchen," Omari commented.

"I've actually never lived in the city, but I'm going to pretend like I know where Hell's Kitchen is," Emily laughed, as Alison greeted Natalia and received the strong smelling flowers from her. "Would you both like to come inside? We actually just finished packing this morning."

"We'd love to!" Natalia said. "The last family who lived here weren't very friendly, so we've never seen the inside of this house. We live in the cream colored house next door."

"Really?" Alison asked. "Not even that friendly after bringing over an amazing looking french toast?"

"Guess not everyone loves it," Omari shrugged.

"What's not to love?" Emily asked, as they walked through the front entryway. "Here, right this way."

Alison and Emily led the couple into their living room, which was as neat as expected. Emily didn't spend any time in it the previous day, and it didn't look like Alison had either.

"So, Alison, I couldn't happen but notice that you're expecting?" Natalia asked.

"Yes!" Alison responded, her face and tone of voice immediately brightening up. "I'm almost twenty-one weeks along."

"That's so special! I actually am a nurse practitioner at a hospital nearby, so I'm helping to deliver babies about five days a week," Natalia added. "It's a really life changing experience. If you have any questions about your pregnancy feel free to ask me, I can give you my cell number just in case."

"That would be great actually. We've read a lot in baby books, but having you just a text away would really be helpful," Alison smiled.

"Have you found out if your baby's a boy or girl yet?"

"We're actually expecting a boy, which is good because there's already two of us girls."

"You know, our neighbors across the street are going to be adopting their first baby soon. Maybe around the time your baby is due," Omari chimed in. "Their names are Jack and Emmett."

"They'll probably stop by within the next few days," Natalia said. "I know Emmett travels a lot to teach some kind of technology at various seminars, so he's not always around."

"We're actually planning on hosting a dinner party soon for the block, that way you can meet everyone and get acquainted," Omari said, looking around their living room.

"That sounds great!" Emily said, knowing this would give an opportunity for both she and Alison to meet some more people After all, it was Alison who was home alone all day when Emily wasn't around. Maybe she'd find some peace as well, since she knew the majority of the time Alison was worrying about being followed. Emily didn't think he was the type to follow them, and that moving away gave them the peace and space they had hoped for.

She glanced at Alison frequently as they continued the tour of the house. Emily chimed in with her comments, and answered any questions that they had. But for the most part, she watched Alison. She watched her smile, the twinkle in her eyes. Emily remembered that same twinkle when she and Alison were eating pizza that first night. She looked happy, and Emily was glad to see it. She hoped this move would be easy for her. She really just wanted the best for Alison. It's the most she'd seen Alison smile since her ultrasound.

When the group finished the house tour and descended the staircase, Natalia reached the bottom of the steps first and turned around.

"Omari and I should probably head out," she said, as Emily concluded that their neighbors were genuine people that she would like to get to know. "I'd offer you to run with me, but I usually run alone. Plus, it's been awhile since I've been running because the weather's been so bad. I'll be slow as a snail."

"Oh no problem at all, honestly I just tune in some music and I am oblivious to everything," Emily chuckled, as they walked towards the door.

"We'll keep in touch about the dinner plans," Omari said, following closely behind his wife as they made their way towards the front door.

After the couple had left, Emily shut the door behind them. The house became quiet again, but Emily knew Alison was standing a few feet behind her. She turned around on her heels, and smile at Alison. She was rubbing her stomach slightly, and Emily wondered if she could feel him kicking again.

"I think things may work out," Alison smiled back, her hand reaching out for Emily's.

Emily took her hand, and felt Alison squeeze it comfortingly, "Maybe it will."

* * *

 **Alison.**

* * *

Emily had left to go on her run maybe fifteen minutes ago, leaving Alison in their dining room to eat some french toast. From the first bite, Alison was hooked. Omari was a damn good cook, and his french toast was definitely already one of Alison's favorite dishes ever. The house was silent, which wasn't the greatest feeling for Alison. She enjoyed it when Emily was home, another warm body in the house. It wasn't only that, Emily was great company. She had a comforting aura around her, that instantly put Alison's nerves at ease. She had always liked Emily, since they first knew each other in middle school. Emily was a shy, maybe a little bit socially awkward in her earlier years, but very caring and genuine. An example of this, was her dropping everything to help Alison escape. She quit her job, left her friends and family behind, just to help Alison and the baby that was biologically hers.

One of Alison's favorite things to look forward to was at night when she and Emily were falling asleep. Emily would snuggle up and spoon her, draping a lazy arm over her waist. She didn't know if Emily meant it as a way to comfort her and protect the baby in some way, but she would take what she got.

As she was chewing a bite of french toast, she felt that same kick in her stomach that she had been feeling for a while. She got them randomly during the day, sometimes during the night too. They'd wake her up, but she never told Emily that. She didn't need Emily to worry more than she already did. Her cellphone vibrated on the table, and Alison opened the text as she put down her fork.

 **Jason** : Alison, please answer me! You can't ignore me forever, we need to talk about this sudden decision to just up and leave your fiance. You got married to another woman a day later, and now you won't return my texts or calls. This wasn't a good idea, you can come and live with us.

It was her older brother. Of course it was, he was the only family member to really care. He hadn't really been a positive part of her life until a few years ago, and even then he had his moments. He was older than her by a few years, enough that they never really were that close in their youth. She really wasn't interested in hearing him out, knowing he was confused and disappointed with her. She didn't need to hear his disapproving speech, since he was trying to act like her father. Instead, she set her phone back on the table and locked her phone. Jason could try all he wanted, but she wasn't going to give in.

She felt another kick in her stomach after eating another bite of french toast, causing her worries about Jason to disappear.

"I guess you like french toast, huh?" she asked aloud, talking to their unborn son. She still had no idea what to name him. She rubbed her stomach soothingly, which she did a lot now. It seemed to calm him down a little, enough that he wasn't constantly kicking her all day long. "Just like your mommy does. She told us it was her favorite breakfast, and Omari makes really good french toast."

Talking to him helped her get by more, but hoped that this upcoming dinner party would give her more of an opportunity to meet more people. There was only so much that talking to an unborn baby could do. She knew that he could hear her, and gained the ability to hear a few weeks ago. So, hopefully he'd know her voice and maybe even Emily's too once he was out of her.

He began to kick a little more frequently, causing some discomfort for Alison. She pushed back in the chair she was sitting in, and continued to rub his stomach. Did he like french toast _that_ much?

"This is a bit of a crazy situation, and you're probably not going to understand it for while. But, we both love you so much. And she's going to protect us from him, and I will protect you both from him too. I promise," Alison said, maybe trying to convince herself more than him.

* * *

 **November 1st, 2018**

* * *

 _It was just another lunch in the teacher's lounge. Alison was munching on a salad, but was paying more attention to the few pieces of paper on the table in front of her. She was reviewing the lesson plan for her next class, they were reading_ Pride and Prejudice _of all books. It wasn't one of Alison's favorites, but still a classic enough. The door to the teacher's lounge opened as Alison was scribbling down a few personal notes on the lesson plan. All the teacher's who ate lunch at this time were already in the teacher's lounge. She looked up, which teacher had decided to sneak into the lounge for a donut from the box Mr. Springer brought in before?_

" _Emily?" Alison asked, realizing who had just entered. Could it be? It must've been what...six years? No, four years. She and Emily Fields had both graduated from Rosewood in the Class of 2012. Graduation was six years ago, but she had stumbled upon Emily during a party during spring break once. Emily went off to college in California, where as Alison stayed more local. They were never close friends in high school, friendly yes. Alison wasn't the friendliest person, but she did have a soft spot for Emily. She never knew why until a few years after college, especially when she saw her at that college party again. Emily looked the same, but definitely more mature. Her jawbone was more defined, all baby fat had left her face. Her hair was slightly lighter than Alison remembered, but other than that she was definitely the same._

 _Emily turned to look at Alison. Alison noticed a blue Rosewood Athletics lanyard around her neck, as well as Rosewood Swim zip up sweatshirt._

" _What are you doing here?" Alison asked, a playfulness returning to her voice. Like it was automatic, Alison's voice returned to the playfulness she always had when talking to Emily. Some called it flirty._

" _I'm actually the new physical therapist here," Emily said, smiling and walking towards where Alison sat. "As well as the new swim coach."_

" _Oh yeah, I remember there being an opening," Alison said._

" _It's a shame the old one had to leave so suddenly," Emily remarked._

" _She was the swim coach at least since we were in high school right?" Alison remembered. "Well, her loss is your gain."_

" _Think I could sit here? I don't really know any of the other teachers yet. Only the ones that were teachers when we were in high school, and that's still really weird to call them by their first name," Emily said, pointing to the seat across from Alison._

" _You get used to it, but yeah of course. I was just looking over my lesson plans," Alison said, smiling at Emily. Once Emily had sat down with her own salad, Alison abandoned her lesson plans and prepared herself to ask Emily a ton of questions. But, Emily beat her to it._

" _So, how was the college life for you, Ali?" Emily asked, and Alison remembered that Emily did call her by her nickname. Unlike other people who called her Alison, or...a few other colorful names._

" _Well, I didn't go very far. I don't know if you remember, but my sister was at Radley for some mental issues. I wanted to stay closeby and help her cope, and went to Hollis," Alison said, giving Emily the short version of her interesting four years at Hollis._

" _No I remember you telling me once before," Emily said. "How is she by the way?"_

" _She actually passed away a few months ago," Alison said, putting her hands on her lap._

" _Oh my god, I'm so sorry," Emily said, and Alison knew she regretted asking. "She was really lucky to have a caring sister who stayed closeby for her."_

 _Alison nodded sadly, "I just wish there was more I could do, you know? But sometimes enough isn't enough, if you know what I mean?"_

 _Emily nodded, "I totally get that."_

" _How did you enjoy the west coast?" Alison asked. She knew Emily enjoyed it a fair bit, she had seen every Instagram and Facebook post that Emily made regarding her time in California. She even learned to surf while out there, Alison may have creeped one or two times._

" _It was honestly a great place to spend four years, but I always thought back to Rosewood. It was always in the back of my mind, honestly," Emily admitted. "I'm glad to be back. My mom actually needed me to come back as support after my dad passed away at war. Otherwise I might have continued to stay out there."_

" _Wow, that's so awful. I'm so sorry Emily," Alison said, reaching out to grab one of Emily's hands. "I remember when your dad would chaperone almost every school trip from middle school onward. He was a great guy."_

" _Yeah, I miss him a lot. I guess we've both lost someone close to us," Emily realized. When Alison was a senior in high school, her mom had passed away unexpectedly. She wasn't that cut up about it, and she used to wonder if she was messed up for being almost relieved her mom was gone. She didn't make living in the same house the best time. Emily looked down at the hand Alison was holding. "Engaged?"_

 _Alison recoiled her hand, a part of her wished Emily wouldn't find out and would never find out for some reason. Which was odd, since she was always quick to tell people all about her fiance. "Uh yes, only for a few months. We met while I was in college, but he's a few years old than me actually. His name's Elliot."_

" _Well, Elliot is an extremely lucky guy," Emily smiled slightly. "I'm glad that we're colleagues though. Out of my close friends in high school, Aria's the only one who's stuck around really. Hanna's in Manhattan, Spencer's in DC."_

" _And now you have me too," Alison smiled, dismissing her thoughts of her fiance._

" _Maybe we can get together? Give me a tour of Rosewood?" Emily asked._

" _Em, you've lived here since you were in sixth grade," Alison pointed out._

" _Wow DiLaurentis, way to kill my excuse for wanting to spend some time with you outside of the classroom," Emily said, causing Alison to beam._

" _Fine, I'd love to."_

* * *

 ** _Getting back in the swing of things, school is wrapping up. Thank you for the support, please be sure to review. Your input means a lot to me._**

 ** _-K xx_**


	5. Chapter 5

**March 25th 2022**

* * *

"Why did we even bother getting a house with a kitchen?" Hanna asked Caleb, as Emily poured wine into Hanna's glass. "We would've saved _a ton_ on apartment rent."

Caleb laughed, "That's because they don't make apartments without kitchens, Hanna."

"You know you guys could always take group cooking classes," Emily suggested.

"Hey, you could take a leaf out of your own book, babe. Who made the majority of the dinner tonight?" Alison asked.

The word "babe" caught Emily's attention, causing her to look at her fake wife night to her. Alison had never called her anything other than Emily or Em. The word caused her heart to jump unexpectedly, that was part of the act right? Alison was beginning to act like her old self, and wasn't acting as reserved anymore. Emily hoped it was because she was adjusting well, and was relieved that she seemed to be having a good time.

It was true though, Emily barely helped with making dinner. She was an _awful_ cook, and Alison's complicated boeuf bourguignon was not something she could do. She almost cut her finger off trying to mince garlic, and Alison took the knife away from her a second later. She banished her from the kitchen, and told her to set the table. Emily didn't even complain, liking Alison's bossy side. She smirked slightly, and admired her backside before moving to grab plates from the cabinets.

"I'll never be as good of a chef as you," Emily smiled, taking another bite of the delicious food Alison had made.

Alison smiled, and looked down at her plate. Emily noticed a pink tinge to her cheeks, but didn't say anything. Every night they had slept together, Emily with her arm securely around Alison's waist. However, recently Alison had been getting hotter at night. They couldn't cuddle as close anymore, but Emily kept an arm on her waist even with a foot of space between them. Things were growing more comfortable between them as she got used to being in each other's company. Whenever Emily had to work, she would count down the time until she got home to Alison and their baby. Alison would always be awake, waiting for her to get home. The second she was in bed with Alison, she felt secure. They would talk for a while until they got sleepy, or Alison would read her some of the book she had. Emily loved the safety she felt when she was in bed with Alison, and hoped it wouldn't change. Alison's bedroom was still untouched, and probably would be from here on out.

"I guess Ali's the cook in the family?" Hanna asked, her eyebrows raising.

"Hey, I can make a mean box of mac and cheese," Emily interjected. Alison let out a laugh of disbelief next to her.

"You could totally make a career out of that," Hanna suggested. "If it means I can eat some more of this or lobster, I will sponsor you."

"Thanks Hanna," Alison smiled, her cheeks going redder. "Honestly, I haven't really thought about it. I'm an English teacher, but as of right now there aren't openings for Emily or I to return to teaching."

Hannah hummed in thought, and Caleb frowned. "Well, you guys don't have to teach. I know Emily works at a bar right now, but you can always set up your own practice or join someone else's for physical therapy," Caleb suggested. "And as for you Alison, there's so many things you can do with English. Write articles for a paper, you could even write a book."

"Caleb that's a great idea!" Hanna said, suddenly lighting up. She turned to Alison excitedly, "Okay, so the fashion company I work for is like paired with Seventeen magazine and there's a few internship opportunities there. I can talk to a few people I know there and see if I can get an interview for you, maybe even negotiate a paid internship for you."

"That sounds great," Alison agreed. "But, I'm pregnant and internships are like six months right? I'm already almost twenty-two weeks along, the baby would be here before the internship is over and I don't think I'd be able to work with a newborn."

Hanna thought for a minute, "I know the girl who does the internships. I'll talk to her and see if I can get you like a two month one. That way you'll have made your impression, and be done before the baby is here!"

"If you can pull that off, I'll be interested," Alison smiled.

The tiramisu that Hanna and Caleb brought was delicious, a little too delicious. Hanna admitted without shame that she had bought it at an Italian bakery. Caleb talked about his boring job at Apple Support, and how a lot of customer's problems could be fixed by turning it off and turning it back on again.

"Em, have you heard from Spencer or Aria? You know since you've moved here?" Hanna asked, polishing off her piece of tiramisu.

"Well, Spencer's still down in South America. I'm sure she hasn't even heard about it and Aria hasn't tried to call," Emily explained.

"But, have you tried to call Aria?" Hanna countered. "I'm sure she'll come around when she's realized you're happy. I think she's more upset that you've left her back in Rosewood alone."

Emily nodded, knowing she should probably call Aria. She did feel bad for leaving Aria behind, but at that moment wasn't thinking about leaving people behind when she made the decision to leave. Aria had a nasty breakup with her boyfriend six months previously, and although she said she was ok, Emily wasn't sure she had fully recovered.

"Have you guys picked out a name yet?" Caleb asked, breaking the silence.

"You could name him after an inanimate object or something. Like the Kardashians! North, Dream, it's the new trend," Hanna chirped up.

"You could name him something that goes with the last name Fields. Like, Grassy Fields," Caleb suggested.

"Only problem is, his last name is DiLaurentis-Fields, not just Fields," Alison spoke up, winking at Emily.

* * *

 **April 1st, 2022**

* * *

 **Alison.**

* * *

"Ow! Fuck!"

Emily jolted awake next to Alison, and quickly lifted her head from the pillow. Alison was sitting up in bed, clutching her stomach. Emily quickly came to her senses, and sat up as well.

"Hey, hey, hey. What's going on?" Emily asked frantically. "Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Alison looked at her in disbelief, "I'm not in labor, silly. He's just kicking hard."

Emily breathed a sigh of relief, "Sorry, I was like half asleep and went into panic mode," she said, as Alison giggled. "Did he wake you up?"

"Yeah, he's got some strong ass feet," Alison said, wincing as she felt another kick. "There's another one. It's going to be hell to try to fall back asleep."

Alison looked at Emily, who was unsure of what to do. It wasn't like she could tell their baby to go to sleep, and knew Emily wanted to help somehow. Alison took her hand, pushed back her pajama shirt, and placed Emily's hand on her swelling stomach. She waited patiently, until she felt another kick.

"No way!" Emily exclaimed, awakening even more. That was her son, and Emily had finally felt her baby. Emily barely felt it, but it was definitely there. She didn't imagine it, but it wasn't too hard. Alison smiled at Emily's enthusiasm, but sighed upon feeling more kicks.

"I just want to sleep at this point," Alison sighed.

"I read in one of your pregnancy books that singing sometimes helps," Emily suggested. Without hesitation, she pushed the blanket back and moved down the bed. When she arrived to Alison's midsection, and rested her head next to Alison's bump.

"I'm not much of a singer, but here goes," Emily shrugged, and began humming the beat to a song.

Thirty seconds after she began humming, Alison realized what song she was humming and lifted her head from the pillow.

"Emily, are you really humming 'Baby Got Back' right now?" Alison asked, her tone serious. Emily began to laugh in response and Alison joined in too, "God, I could slap you right now."

"Maybe," Emily shrugged. "I'm just trying to get him to call asleep. Is it working? Is he still kicking?"

"Yes, but keep going," Alison continued, laying her head back down on the pillow.

Alison didn't recognize the tune of the song she was humming, but the kicking slowed down and slowly stopped. What Emily was doing seemed to help, and she was glad that she'd finally be able to go back to sleep. He had been kicking for twenty minutes before Emily woke up.

She was so thankful that she had Emily to help her, and smiled to herself as she began to drift to sleep. Emily stopped humming right before Alison fell asleep, after the kicking had stopped completely. Emily's hand had been rubbing her bump soothingly, which was a nice feeling.

"You're going to do amazing things, my little bean," she heard Emily say softly, and felt the vibrations of Emily's voice on her stomach. "Things are kind of crazy, but I'm going to make it work for our little family. I've wanted to be a part of a family again for a while."

Alison wasn't awake for much longer after that, but there was a strong fluttering in her chest. She felt Emily move back up the bed to lay down next to her, and Alison was hit with a wave of her smell. Emily was so pure, so caring. Even though they were never close, she had dropped everything to keep Alison and their baby safe. She used to be so scared, but she couldn't have asked for a better parent to help raise their baby. It was better than her former co-parent, that's for sure.

* * *

There was a knock on the door the next morning, and Alison fearlessly went to open it. She wasn't going to let her ex-fiance control she and Emily's life with fear of his unknown actions. If he was going to do something stupid like follow them, he would've already showed up by now. Emily looked wearily at her as she approached the door, but didn't say anything. Instead she continued to slice up strawberries and toss them into two bowls for them. Alison enjoyed the mornings after when Emily didn't have to work late, that way she wasn't dead to the world at 9am. She actually had energy to go for a run, and communicate with Alison other than low mumble of words.

"Hi!" a male voice said brightly, before she could even register who was at the door. It was two men, once maybe six inches taller than the other. The taller man looked particularly tired, whereas the other seemed to have more energy than even the morning birds. Alison quickly noticed the matching wedding rings and assumed they were Jack and Emmett, the two men that were trying to adopt a baby a few houses down.

The tired and taller man had soft, grey eyes and dark brown hair. He looked to be in his early to mid-thirties, and his Star Wars graphic tee that was adorned with Darth Vader definitely cued Alison in on his interests. He had a lanky stature and a 5 o'clock shadow, adding more to his tired appearance. His husband on the other hand had wavy black hair and a strong build, maybe with the help of Crossfit. Alison quickly noticed that he was holding a bottle of red wine.

"Hi!" Alison responded, not expecting to see something like this that early in the morning. "Are you guys…?"

"Jack and Emmett," Jack said, motioning to himself and his husband. "Sorry about Emmett, he's a little tired from his flight. Got in bright and early this morning, and I insisted that we come over here cause we haven't shown our faces since you both have moved in."

Emmett smiled weakly, and offed his hand to Alison. Alison heard Emily's footsteps behind her as she approached, "Well thank you for the warm welcome to the neighborhood, I'm Alison. And behind me right now is my wife, Emily."

Jack looked past Alison, and smiled wider at Emily, "Oh well I've heard so much about you from Omari. Bartender at the Carnegie Club, fancy fancy."

"Thank you," Emily smiled, a small trace of sleep in her voice. "It pays well enough, at least people tip nice there."

"Well, it is full of swanky old men and you're absolutely gorgeous so of course you get good tips," Jack pointed out, before turning back to Alison. "And you are absolutely stunning yourself, practically radiating. Natalie mentioned that you were pregnant, how far along are you?"

"Twenty-two weeks," Alison said, a hand coming up to rub her stomach soothingly. It seemed their little boy had not awaken just yet, as he had been motionless since Emily hummed to him last night.

"That's fantastic! Emmett and I are expecting too! A young girl in Maryland is giving up her baby for adoption once she has it, and we are first on the list," Jack said, nudging Emmett.

"Would you two like to come inside?" Alison offered, opening the door wider. She felt Emily place a hand on her lower back, and melted under her touch.

" Oh please you don't have to, we just wanted to come over and say hello. Emmett should probably get home and get some sleep. Like I said we wanted to come sooner but, I wanted to housewarm with my husband," Jack said, motioning to Emmett. "I picked out this really nice red, I'm sure you'll enjoy. But, being the idiot I am I realized just now that you can't have wine."

He was referring to Alison and although Alison loved her wine, her little baby boy was preventing that next drink.

"I'm sure Emily will drink it," Alison said, accepting the wine.

"Definitely, thank you," Emily said, as Alison handed her the bottle. "But, thank you for stopping by. It's nice to be able to get to know everyone."

"Of course! And we'll most likely be in touch soon once we host a dinner party," Jack said. "Catch up soon?"

They exchanged their goodbyes, and Alison closed the door behind them once they had gone. The door shut heavily, and Emily was smiling at her teasingly.

"A man of few words?" Emily asked, as she twisted the bottle in her hand. Alison noticed Emily's bright smile, and how it made her look extra radiant in the morning.

"Who are you talking about? Jack or Emmett?" Alison shot back, with equal banter.

Emily giggled, "The quiet one."

"I think his husband can talk enough to make up for it. They both seem really nice," Alison admitted. "But I guess you'll be doing the wine drinking in the family."

Emily hummed, and set the bottle down on the dining room table, "Truth be told, I'm actually not that big of a wine drinker. But, I will when I'm a little desperate and need to destress after a long day."

"There's other ways to destress you know Em," Alison pointed out.

Emily raised her eyebrows, "Such as?"

"I don't know, there's things you can do," Alison shrugged, not meeting Emily's eyes. She quickly grew nervous, which is something that Alison didn't feel too often. Especially due to the daring eyes of someone else.

"What are you trying to say, DiLaurentis?" Emily asked, and Alison remembered the last time she had called her by her last name in the teacher's lounge.

"No, no," Alison said, shaking her head as she approached Emily. "DiLaurentis-Fields, remember?"

She poked Emily lightly on the nose, who stood dumbfounded by Alison's words and gesture. Alison laughed upon seeing her reaction, totally off guard. Emily blinked quickly, but Alison didn't wait to see what else Emily did. She was already climbing the stairs to go take a shower, maybe a little colder than normal.

* * *

"How about Christopher?"

Emily wrinkled her nose, as she continued to fold the jeans and leggings among the laundry. Although Alison had offered, Emily had insisted she lay down and rest. It wasn't that much laundry, and Alison deserved to be wrapped up in warm blankets in bed with a cup of tea and heat pad on her lower back.

"Christoper...kind of common, no?" Emily asked. "I mean, our names are Alison and Emily. They've been top 100 most popular baby girl names for the past thirty years, might as well break the chain."

"Ohhh, so I'm sensing you want something modern like Apollo or Peeta," Alison teased, causing Emily to chuckle and shake her head.

"No, but I mean a name that three or four other kids in his class won't have," Emily answered.

"You're right, we'll definitely look into some other names," Alison said, closing the baby name book.

Emily quickly noticed the disgruntled look on Alison's face, and she rubbed her stomach gingerly, "Baby boy kicking again?" Emily asked, beginning to put the folded clothes away.

"I swear he was supposed to be born on the other side of the planet, sleeps all day for the most part but at night it's a party," Alison winced, still trying to make the fact she was becoming a baby punching bag a positive thing. "At least we know he's healthy and living."

"How about I read to him tonight? We both know I'm not really a good singer," Emily sighed. "I found this book that would be really fitting to read to him."

"Oh? I didn't know you were much of a reader. I thought that was my thing," Alison asked, her interest perking.

"It is," Emily agreed. "But someone was giving away free books on the sidewalk while I was running today, and I don't know I was just drawn to this one."

Emily moved to her side of the bed, and opened the drawer of her nightstand. She pulled out a worn paperback book, and showed it to Alison.

"The Little Prince?" Alison asked, remembering reading the book when she was young. "This is an amazing book."

"I've never read it, but you were a queen bee in high school, making the little boy a little prince. But, it seemed like it was a good book and the reviews online were-"

"Emily, it's perfect," Alison said, silencing Emily by putting a hand on top of hers. "Now shut up and read it to us."

Emily smiled warmly, and moved to get under the covers. Alison shifted over, but not enough so that there was much room between the two. Alison watched Emily as her forehead crinkled in concentration, and she reached for her glasses. Alison never thought she'd find the fact that someone needed glasses to be...adorable.

She cleared her throat, and flipped to the first page. There was illustrations on practically every page, bringing together the well written novel. Emily began to read, and Alison quickly found listening to her voice to be soothing and melodic. There was something about her voice being barely above a whisper that made her instantly relax.

"I did not know what to say to him. I felt awkward and blundering. I did not know how I could reach him, where I could overtake him and go on hand in hand with him once more. It is such a secret place, the land of tears." Emily finished, closing the book after finishing the chapter. It was sometime later, and Alison was dozing off. So was their baby, who had stopped kicking ages ago. "We'll read more tomorrow."

Alison opened her eyes, and saw Emily turn off the light. Emily turned to face her, and Alison smiled up at her. She pushed the hair out of Emily's face, and tucked it behind her head.

"Why don't you let me take you out?" Emily asked, letting Alison's hand linger on her face. "You've barely been out, and I don't want you to get cabin fever in here."

Alison giggled, "Are you asking me on a date?"

"Can a girl take her wife out?" Emily asked. "Come on, it'll be fun. Dinner, maybe a movie. Or just a walk around the city, just let the night take us away. What do you say?"

"I say, yes," Alison smiled, wondering how someone like Emily would ever agree to run away from her past with. "Thank you."

"Gladly, I know you need a night out," Emily said. "Plus, there's this place near the Carnegie Club with some really good chips and guac. I think you'll love it."

"Great, now sleep with me I'm tired," Alison said, removing the hand that had been stroking Emily's cheek.

Emily quickly obeyed, and moved to spoon Alison by resting an arm on her. At this point they didn't try to sleep apart, they'd only end up wrapped up in close proximity by the end of the night. Alison was always comforted by Emily's arm, and felt secure enough to fall into a deep sleep every night. She felt Emily stroke the skin of her hip with the pad of her thumb, which made Alison's heart feel full. She reached for Emily's hand, slipped her arm under Emily's and intertwined their fingers. She heard Emily sigh behind her, but felt her relax even more before they both drifted to sleep.

* * *

 **Please be sure to leave a review if you'd like to see more of this story!**


	6. Chapter 6

**April 10th, 2022**

* * *

"I don't know what to wear," Alison sighed, discarding the blue blouse she had on. Emily was sitting on the bed, waiting for Alison to be ready so that they could go out. Sunday wasn't an ideal night to go out, but Emily had worked on Saturday. She studied Alison's frame, which was definitely larger since her bump had grown. Emily still thought she looked amazing, and there was something especially attractive about her growing stomach. The problem was that because Alison's bump was growing, her clothes were not made to be stretched that far. Everything was soon unable to fit her, and even though Alison passed off with wearing baggy clothes around the house, it made finding something nice to wear out especially hard.

"Nothing fits anymore," Alison huffed, standing in front of Emily wearing only a tank top and panties. Emily couldn't help but stare when Alison's back was turned, or feel a hot sensation in her lower abdomen. "Even my bras are starting to get too small, I used to think there were big before I was pregnant...but this is just a nightmare. I'm starting to get stretch marks on my stomach too."

Emily sprung to her feet upon Alison speaking negatively of her body, and quickly walked towards her and the pile of clothes that surrounded her. She placed both her hands on Alison's forearms to make sure Alison would look right at her.

"Hey," Emily said, her voice growing firm, yet still gentle. "Every carrying mother gets like this, your body is just naturally doing this because you're pregnant. Once you have the little prince, I'll get you on my exercise and diet routine. I hope you like fruit smoothies."

Alison smiled, a blush creeping on her cheeks as she looked at the ground. Emily smiled back at Alison, taking in the sight of her full face of makeup. Alison never really wore makeup, and if she did she wore foundation and mascara only. Now her lips had a shiny layer of lip gloss on them, and Emily had learned she was a pro at blending eyeshadow.

"Thanks Em," Alison said, letting out a sigh. "I just...I just get insecure about it."

Emily rubbed Alison's arms, "Don't be. You are as gorgeous as when I knew you in high school. Here, let me help you find something you can wear out and tomorrow I'm sure Hanna would love to help you get maternity clothes."

"Would she? I barely know her, and I feel bad-"

"She'd love to, just text her and ask," Emily said, waving her off. She opened her drawer and began to dig through it. "But, for now here."

She tossed Alison an article of clothing without warning, and Alison caught it in her hands. She held it up in front of her, realizing the importance of the jacket in her arms. It was a cotton navy blue sweatshirt, specifically for Rosewood's Varsity Swim Team of 2012. Alison remembered everyone on the swim team getting one, after making it all of the way to nationals. Not only did they get this personalized sweatshirt, but a water bottle, a rain jacket, and a pair of sweatpants.

Alison turned the sweatshirt over, and saw in white lettering Emily's last name plastered on the back. Her eyes travelled down the back of the sweatshirt, and at the bottom was white letters that said "CAPTAIN."

"Your varsity captain sweatshirt?" Alison asked, turning it back over. Her thumb rubbed over the cotton fabric, tracing the letters of the word "varsity."

"Yeah, it should be a bit looser than any of my other sweatshirts. My mom accidentally ordered a size too high at the time, so this should give your bump some more room," Emily said, shrugging. For someone who wasn't shy anymore, Alison could see her returning to her early high school years upon this interaction.

Alison smiled, and pulled the sweatshirt over her head. It was warm, and was a bit looser around the stomach. Alison looked in the mirror as she pulled her blonde locks out of the hood, noticing that you could still see her bump. The sweatshirt fit comfortably at least, and Alison smiled at herself in the mirror.

"It's perfect," Alison said, turning back to Emily. "We're representing you."

Emily smiled sheepishly, and looked at the ground, "It should work for now. I'm glad you like it."

"Em, you used to wear this sweatshirt all the time in high school, I remember," Alison said, walking up to Emily. "This was like your prized possession."

"I can lend it to someone who needs it," Emily shrugged, as she admired how attractive Alison looked wearing her sweatshirt. There was just something about seeing Alison wearing her sweatshirt, it made her look fantastic. "Besides, you look better in it anyway."

Alison smiled back, "Well, don't expect to be getting this back. Ever. Now come on, let's go to dinner."

* * *

The pizzeria they settled on what tucked away on the corner of a street in Brooklyn. Since it was later at night, it was relatively silent. Manhattan was usually one of the only boroughs that was still noisy, even at 3am. This pizzeria was surrounded by apartment buildings, and only a few people were walking along the streets. Emily had drove, and it took them a few minutes to find a parking spot about two blocks away.

Emily opened the door for Ali, glad that the people inside had casual attire on as well. What started off as an idea to have a fancy dinner, turned out to be them going to a pizzeria after Alison admitted she'd be embarrassed by how out of place she'd look in a high school swim sweatshirt. Emily, who was wearing black leather pants and a jean jacket decided to change out of it and dress down. That way, she and Alison would be wearing generally the same clothes. Now, she wore a light colored jeans and a maroon wool sweater.

"God, how often do we eat pizza?" Alison joked, as they sat down at a table for two.

"Too much, but are you complaining? Do you want to go get some sushi?" Emily asked, pointing towards the exit.

"No!" Alison said, reaching for Emily to prevent her from leaving. "I mean, we haven't had brick oven pizza since we've been here…"

Emily smiled, and fake swooned, "This is why I married you. Your love for pizza, as much as mine."

Alison rolled her eyes, and Emily admired the glimmer of high school Alison in her face. They didn't have much time for banter, when their waitress came over to take their drink order. She looked a little younger than the duo, with a short pixie cut and tattoos up her arms. Emily always wanted a tattoo, but had been too chicken to get one.

"Hey! I'm Ruby, are you guys ready to get some drinks yet? Or should I come back?" Ruby asked.

"I think we're ready. I'll have a rum and Coke," Emily said, not taking her eyes off Alison.

"I'm good with just water," Alison said, smiling politely as she looked up at Ruby.

Just water? Wait…

"Actually, take the rum out of the Coke and just make it a Coke," Emily said, remembering that Alison could not have any alcohol whatsoever. Emily just wanted to make it easier for her.

"Oh! Ok, if you're sure," Ruby said, surprised by Emily's change in order. "I'll go and get the drinks for you. Just take a look over the menu while I do that."

Alison watched Ruby walk away, her eyes quickly falling back to Emily. Her mouth was open slightly, but Emily could see she was smiling. "You know just because I can't drink, doesn't mean you can't."

Emily shrugged, "Pregnancy is a pain. I don't want to rub it in your face that I can drink, so I just won't until this baby is born."

"Really?" Alison asked, her voice dry. "You're going to be one of those co-parents."

"Would you rather me temptingly drink my rum and coke in front of you?" Emily asked, pushing her hair over her shoulder. When Alison didn't respond, Emily gave her a cocky half-smile, "I didn't think so."

Emily appreciated the constant banter and conversation that she and Alison were able to have. Not only was it refreshing, but they had started off living together in awkward conversation and interactions where they both were unsure of where they stood. To Emily, Alison was definitely gorgeous. Not only that, but she had always had a thing for Alison in high school. She didn't want to be selfish however, Alison had just gotten out of a very serious relationship a little over a month ago. She wasn't even sure if Alison returned those feelings, despite their flirtatious interactions in high school. Also, she wasn't sure how long they were going to keep up the act of being married. Maybe, they'd stop once they were sure Alison's ex wouldn't bother her, but Emily was sure she'd still want to be in her baby's life. It was all unknown, and neither seemed to want to talk about it.

Emily continued to stay lost in thought until they both had ordered their pizza, and gotten their drinks. Emily stirred the Coke in her glass with a black straw, staring at the dark colored liquid. She sipped it lightly, and looked up at Alison with the straw still between her lips.

"Having fun there?" Alison asked, picking up her glass of water to take a sip. "You picked a good place."

"Brick oven pizza is the best," Emily shrugged. "And we deserve the best of the best. Is my sweatshirt keeping you warm?"

"Yes, it's perfect," Alison said, looking down at the lettering on her chest. "Kind of makes me wish I did more sports in high school."

"Well, you can always tell people you were a varsity swim captain in high school. They'll never know," Emily said, pointedly.

"You know there's probably something else we should think about," Alison began. "I know that it's still like four-ish months away, but we need to think about furnishing a nursery for the baby boy."

Emily nodded, and bit her lip. It would be nice to have someone with experience help with it, but Emily knew that Alison's dad would never and Emily had not talked to her mom in about a month. Maybe it was time to finally talk to her mom, instead of ignore the majority of her calls in fear of confrontation.

"I think we're going to need one of those baby carrier things, that way he can sleep or chill out while we're doing things," Emily said. "Just imagine him curled up on my chest in that thing."

"I'm imagining it now, and it's extremely cute," Alison smiled. Emily smiled back at her, grateful for the easiness of their conversations. It could definitely be worse after all.

They continued to talk until their food arrived, slices of pizza were set down before them. The crust was hard, crunchy from being made in a brick oven. Emily wasn't a huge fan of chewy crust, so eating out of a brick oven made everything better. Emily noticed the pineapple pizza in front of Alison, which she had grown used to her eating. It was just something quirky that Alison liked, at least while she was pregnant. Emily thought it was weird and practically sinful at first, but she soon stopped doing so as it became a regular thing. Emily had gotten the special, which had black olives and a mixtures of chopped peppers sprinkled on top. Emily liked to broaden her pizza horizon, where Alison usually kept to the same thing.

"Want a bite?" Emily asked, holding up a particularly cheesy slice of black olive and pepper pizza.

Alison wrinkled her nose, "You enjoy eating that?"

"Try for me," Emily said, practically whining. "If you do, I'll let you pick the dessert."

"I'll do it, if you try a bite of mine," Alison countered, holding up her pineapple pizza.

Emily recoiled back, not wanting to go anywhere near the pizza. She considered it for a moment, and opened her mouth.

"You're serious?" Alison asked, shocked with Emily's action.

"Do it before I change my mind!" Emily said, and Alison quickly lowered the pizza into her mouth. She felt the crust on her tongue, but also a few pineapple pizza spill off the top and fall into her mouth. She bit down, pulling the bit of pizza away from the slice Alison was holding. She leaned backward, as Alison watched her in shock.

Emily chewed happily, surprised even with herself that she had taken a bite. She had never had any before at all. It wasn't too bad, maybe not bad enough to be made fun of. But, she wasn't sure she'd ever have it again.

"Wow, wild," Alison said, putting down her pizza slice. "Ok, give me yours. I gotta try."

Emily swallowed her bite, and held her slice out for Alison to take a bite. The olives and peppers would give Alison a change in flavor, since pineapple pizza was sweet. This would be bitter for her.

She watched as Alison chewed, wondering if she could broaden Alison's tastebuds.

* * *

There was a large crowd in the restaurant by the time they were both done eating. All the people were waiting at the door, desperate to be seated so that they could share some brick oven pizza. As they stood up, Emily remarked that it was a good thing that they came to eat when they did. She signaled for Alison to walk before her, as they headed towards the group of people standing in front of their exit.

It was hard to get out, and rather pushy too. Some people just didn't seem to want to move, too busy talking to realize that two women were trying to leave out the door behind them. Alison reached her hand back, and held it out for Emily so that Emily wouldn't get caught in the crowd. Emily reached for it and held on eagerly, but was more focused on trying to leave.

Holding on tightly to Alison's hand, they walked through the crowd of people and towards the door. Alison had a biting voice, one which she used to use on people in high school. This time it was to sternly excuse she and Emily through them, and after a few times they finally moved over to let them out.

"Way to push through," Emily said to Ailson, letting the door to the pizzeria close behind them. Neither she nor Alison made a move to released their interlocked fingers, and instead fell into a slow walk back towards Emily's car. It was getting colder now, both could see their breath fog up in front of them as they walked hand in hand. Soon, their arms were swinging casually together, and they fell into easy conversation once again.

Alison's other hand was resting on her stomach, tucked into the pocket of Emily's swim sweatshirt she was wearing. Emily glanced at her often, looking at how her blonde hair looked almost white in the street lights, and how Alison couldn't seem to stop smiling.

"You know," Alison began, after about a minute of silent walking. Emily felt Alison's thumb stroke her hand. "I didn't think you or anyone would escape from Rosewood with me."

"Why's that?" Emily asked, slowing down to look at Alison. "It was a bad situation and you needed to-"

Alison shushed Emily softly, and placed a hand on Emily's forearm. "Emily, bad situation or not, we didn't know each other well in high school. We barely even knew each other when we were both teaching together. There has to be more of a reason on why you agreed...hell, you were the one who came up with this idea."

Emily thought for a moment, felt the pressure on her upper arm as Alison picked a string off her jacket, and looked beyond Alison and into the dark street.

"I wanted…" she began, but her voice faltered. She took a deep breath, and forced herself to look at Alison. Right into those crystal blue eyes, and all she saw was comfort and warmth. Emily felt at ease when she looked at them, a feeling no one felt when looking at Alison DiLaurentis in high school. "I wanted a family. Crazy as that sounds, everything has been pretty off since my dad died. I spent a lot of my early twenties trying to figure out what I lost, and what I still needed."

"Go on," Alison said, as Emily's voice faded out.

"I found that here, being here. With you, our baby. I don't know… the circumstances in which we came here was crazy and honestly I always hated New York and it's still not my favorite place to be…" Emily said, looking down at the hand that was holding Alison's. "I'm ready to do that here, to raise our little prince together. Not only is it giving me a chance to find the family I've been missing for almost eight years, but I feel like I'm doing something right. And good, with my time."

The whole time Emily talked, Alison smiled up at her. Emily noticed how long her eyelashes were, how her cheeks were slightly red from the cold or something else, and the faint freckles that adorned her nose. Her lips were turned upward in a smile, pink and with a slight sheen due to the lip gloss.

As if it was both apparent, Emily couldn't help herself. Alison. Since they had gotten to New York, since their reunion, every night Alison had slept in her bed. It was apparent that Emily's school girl crush on Alison had never died. From someone who walked Rosewood's halls with reason and conviction, made everyone cower against the lockers as she passed. Her blue eyes lacking the warmth they gave Emily in this moment covered under designer sunglasses. But, things were very different almost ten years later. Here Alison was, caring and kind and… loving. She was pregnant with Emily's baby, Emily's genes growing inside her every second. Once this baby was born, whatever his name was, she'd be sure that he had two loving mothers.

She was leaning in before she could help it, and quickly realizes that Alison was leaning in to. Emily let her eyes close shut, her breath hitching in her throat as her lips parted and she captured Alison's bottom lip in a soft kiss. Her arms, which were hung at her side moved to Alison's hips. She tugged Alison closer to her body, causing Alison to squeak slightly in surprise as their lips began to move against each other's.

Alison's hands slid up her arms, and ended up placed on Emily's jaw. Alison's hands were slightly cold to the touch, but made Emily's cheeks feel fiery. Emily took in every moment, and felt as if her high school self could finally rest in piece knowing how Alison's lips felt and tasted. It was a feeling she could barely compare to any other kiss she had shared, their was a gentleness to it even though with each passing second their kissing picked up in eagerness. Each kiss lasted a long time, and Emily felt her breath escaping her lungs as if it was being sucked out.

To anyone passing by or looking on, they'd see two wives sharing a kiss. As one they would share everyday, a normal thing. They could be celebrating their upcoming child, the fact they were in love, or just as any other kiss. But no, this was something new for the both of them. Territory neither had stepped into, and was figuring out as they went along.

As they grew more comfortable with the other's movements and the intoxicating smell of the other that filled their nose, their kisses became more frequent. Their mouths desperate to discover more. Emily felt Alison's part slightly, her tongue slightly brushing across Emily's top lip, as if asking for entrance in the most polite of ways. Emily opened her mouth eagerly, her tongue quickly meeting Alison's.

There was no battle between their tongues, no war to see who was most dominant. Their tongues moved naturally together, as they got acquainted Alison's arms moved to wrap around Emily's neck. Emily felt her hands grab tightly to Emily's jacket at the shoulders, and Emily sucked in a breath as she bit down on Alison's lip lightly.

Things were beginning to get too heated for a public street, despite the fact no one was walking by. With the lip bite, Emily pulled away from Alison's mouth. She brought Alison's bottom lip with her slightly, before releasing it. Her eyes were still closed, as she pressed her forehead to Alison's. Both of them breathed heavily into the night, their breath mixing with one another. Emily felt Alison stroke her cheek with the pad of her thumb, cupping it slightly.

"Come on wifey," Alison said softly, a hint of tease in her voice. "Let's get to bed."

* * *

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